DisWeb
Travel
Identify My Food, Please!
by Candy B. Harrington
From Emerging Horizons, Fall 2000
©2000 Candy B. Harrington
I'm usually a very mild mannered and calm person, but every now and then I hit the roof when I read something that is patronizing, degrading or just downright incorrect. Such was the case recently, when a press release from Delta Airlines crossed my desk. The headline read "Delta Air Lines Forms Advisory Board For Passengers With Special Needs." My initial reaction was, "Well it's about (expletive deleted) time. The Air Carriers Access Act (ACAA) has been on the books since 1986, and these yahoos are just getting around to forming a committee to address the issue?!" But then I took a deep breath, settled down, and decided to give Delta the benefit of the doubt and actually read their press release.
Basically I was unimpressed by the Delta press release; as they took something that could have been concisely stated in one paragraph, and inflated it to 2 pages, singing the praises of their airline at every opportunity. The focus of the press release was on the creation of their new "Advisory Board" to "address the travel needs of customers with disabilities." Of course I always welcome news of better access, but this type of an advisory committee is hardly ground-breaking news. Northwest Airlines already has such a committee, and both Continental and American Airlines have been very proactive in attending conferences and getting input from the disabled community. I can't recall ever seeing a Delta representative at any of those conferences. In my humble opinion, this press release gives undeserved accolades to Delta for doing something it should have done 14 years ago; address the needs of travelers with disabilities and abide by the rules of the ACAA. In a few words, reading this Delta press release triggered what I call a "Greyhound flashback."
As you may be aware, Greyhound Bus Lines hasn't exactly been proactive (or even cooperative) in providing access to their services. Years ago they used their financial resources to fight the proposed Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations for over-the-road buses. Greyhound didn't want to purchase lift-equipped buses; in fact, their idea of adequate access was to carry people on board their buses. The DOT thought differently though, as their final ruling mandated lift-equipped buses, and more importantly, declared that carrying passengers aboard is not considered appropriate access. Then Greyhound changed their tune, and their public relations people tried to put a positive spin on the ruling. Now all of a sudden, Greyhound "goes the distance to make travel a pleasant and convenient experience for passengers with disabilities." It's amazing what a good public relations firm can do.
Considering my past experiences, I thought I might be overreacting to the Delta press release. So I decided to visit their website, where they supposedly have "comprehensive information on their disability programs." I was underwhelmed, and found the Delta website devoid of any "useful" information such as seating diagrams, the location of flip-up armrests or the dimensions of their commuter aircraft. However, there was one item on the Delta website that caught my eye. It was listed in the "In-flight Assistance" section. This section contains a list of services that Delta flight attendants will and won't provide to passengers with a disability. One particular item stood out on the "will provide" list; "identify your food". Wow I thought, this is a great service, as God knows I've seen some pretty unidentifiable airline meals. OK, I understand what they are shooting for; but if Delta really put some thought into the matter, they could appropriately describe this service. To me, this slip-of-the-tongue reflects Delta's general attitude about providing services to people with disabilities; they just don't put a lot of thought into it. So, let's make them think.
The next time you're on a Delta flight, and the flight attendant plops down some unidentifiable foodstuff in front of you, hit that call button, summon her back and ask her to identify your food. When the confused flight attendant says she doesn't know what your are talking about, just tell her you want to take advantage of the very useful services that Delta provides for their "passengers with special needs." After all, it's on their website; and we all know that everything on the internet is the absolute truth. I can see the those call buttons lighting up now; "Identify my food. Please!"
